ConcertFix’s Most Anticipated Tours of 2014

What is it that makes a great concert? Is it the engagement of the crowd, the lightning effects that accompanies the sound, or is it all about the music? How about all three? After a great year of concerts in 2013, ConcertFix wanted to provide people with a list of the must see shows in 2014 that they may have missed in 2013. We were not merciful and held every band to the highest of standards when it came to their performances. Here are some of our favorites for 2014.

The Pixies

If you have seen The Pixies before then it’s no surprise to see them on our list of must see concerts. Black Francis continues to deliver impeccable vocals with his uniquely soothing yet power tone. The Biggest question mark for the band will be Kim Shattuck of The Muffs who will be taking the place of the original bassist Kim Deal, who was recently fired from the band. The band has said it was “impossible” to replace Kim Deal. However the band is very excited to have Shattuck apart of the team and has high aspirations for her during their tour. The Pixies will host one of the largest tours of the year which will stretch from January 15 to March 1 for a total of 33 concerts. The tour will visit US and Canadian cities like Toronto, Montreal, Boston and Austin from January 15 to March 1.

Arctic Monkeys

Only a few bands are able to truly make the claim of their music sounding better live than in studio. Arctic Monkeys is one of those few who can make this claim. While the songs themselves do not tend to deviate far from the previously recorded versions the show they put more than makes up for the lack of originality of their live music. Beginning on January 30, the Arctic Monkeys will be coming back to the states after a European tour that was briefly interrupted by a bout of laryngitis that Alex Turner needed to nurture. The tour will feature a stop at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 8. Currently there are 14 concerts on the schedule, with the last one on February 15.

Bring Me The Horizon

One of the funnest concerts I have ever attended. Bring me the Horizon puts on a wonderful performance that will leave every last person in the crowd cheering and screaming to every song in perfect unison. The way Oliver S. Sykes engages the crowd is masterful. If you are looking for a concert that will have every person in the entire venue on their feet screaming, go see Bring me the Horizon. In Addition, Of Mice And Men will be joining the huge Bring Me The Horizon tour that will feature 35 concerts from February 3 through March 28. The tour is dubbed ‘The American Dream Tour’ and follows the release of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Sempiternal’ album released back on April 30, 2013. Tour cities will include Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Seattle as well as plenty of others.

Kings Of Leon

You can tell when a band lives for performing live. Kings of Leon is definitely one of those bands. Every show delivers everything you could ask for from the band and more. Known for their 2 and a half hour plus sets and their 4 song encores, Kings of Leon is a must attend concert. The Band works its ass off to make sure every concert they play meets their incredibly high standards. At their concert in Vegas, Caleb Followill actually called out the venue saying “the acoustics were not up to par”. I was actually at that show and was impressed by the sound of their performance. Most other bands would get through their set and not think twice. Its refreshing to see a band that actually cares so much about the live performance they are delivering to the fans. The ‘Mechanical Bull Tour’ will be dominating headlines as the Kings Of Leon will be joining up with Gary Clark Jr. The tour includes 29 shows, 16 with Gary Clark Jr. beginning in early February and ending in mid April. Kings Of Leon’s recent album, ‘Mechanical Bull’, was released on September 20 and the tour with Gary Clark Jr.was revealed shortly after.

Flogging Molly

What is it about this band’s music that makes me want dance and get hammered off green beer? I had so much fun at the Flogging Molly concert. The crowd was into it, the band was great, and they are more than just a Saint Patty's day must. The annual tour by Flogging Molly will visit 27 cities across America. The band will be visiting cities like Fort Lauderdale, Boston and Pittsburgh as well as a special Saint Patrick’s Day concert in Tempe, AZ at Tempe Beach Park.

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is well known for their concert antics and extreme requests from their fans. At a concert in Brooklyn, the band made the request of: “Formal attire or costume mandatory”. Since then the band has release another statement informing people to not take the Mandatory portion so seriously. The Band enjoys when their fans are engaged and participating in the music. It makes for a fun and entertaining night. Have you ever seen a horse in a suit hooking up with a attractive very slutty version on the easter bunny? Thats the kind of shit that happens at an Arcade Fire concert. Celebrating the bands newest album 'Reflektor’, Arcade Fire has just expanded their current worldwide tour due to overwhelming demand. Already visiting Australia and New Zealand during the annual Big Day Out 2014, their upcoming ‘Green 17 Tour’ has 30 more upcoming concerts scheduled for North America. Then, they will be in Spain, Germany and Denmark and will conclude their massive tour with 3 concerts at Barclays Center in New York in late August.

The 1975

The 1975 is definitely one of the big new upcoming bands to watch out for. While their live performances have been somewhat limited since the band is relatively young, they have received nothing but stellar feedback. Great sound, stellar performance, an absolute must see! In the spring, look for The 1975 to appear in 28 North American shows after touring Europe at the start of 2014. The Manchester-based band was last in America for the release of their self-titled debut album. Their 2014 tour will begin on April 17 in San Francisco and will visit cities such as DC, Dallas, Atlanta and New York.

Queens of the Stone Age

Following the recent success of Queens of the Stone Age’s newest album ‘Like Clockwork’ debuting at #1, the band announced a short concert tour starting January 30 and running to February 13 for 11 shows. Tour cities will include Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Orlando and San Antonio. Following the tour, Queens of the Stone Age is planning a single concert at the Brady Theater in Tulsa on May 16. Two words, “studio band”. If you are big fan of the album and have never seen them live before, be warned. The bands live performances struggles to keep up with the sound of the album. With the exception of lead singer Joshua Homme’s vocals, the rest of the band appears to be out of sync and lacks any sort of rapport on stage. I used to be a big fan of the band until I saw one of their live performances.

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